Catch up on all the news in Western Australia thanks to this latest edition of Quokka Talk, by Eddie Lankhorst.
A Thorough Look at the Correct Fitment of a Race Harness and HANS Device
Jen Hogan has done some great research into the correct fitment of a race harness and HANS device and has some very interesting, and extremely useful findings to share with us here.
If you are interested in competing in a sporting event in your Lotus, or are just interested in good set up and safety, take a few minutes to read through her article and consider the things she has learned.
800 or So Specimens of British Ingenuity: Enjoying the 2017 All British Day in South Australia
Sunday the 12th of February saw British cars of every marque and model imaginable gather in the Echunga Recreation Ground for the 2017 All British Day. Andrew Stevens has kindly been in touch with the news and some photos from the day, which you can enjoy below!
Friday Feature: Brian Caldersmith Tackles Mount Panorama in an Elite
Brian Caldersmith pushes his little Lotus Elite around Mount Panorama during the Bathurst Motor Festival held over the Easter long weekend back in 2008.
This is one of five races held that weekend for historic sports cars, and Brian’s surrounded by beautiful sports cars in a packed field. He handles the Elite, and the traffic, magnificently as he navigates Mount Panorama’s many walls and the corners and elevation changes that have made it one of the world’s great circuits.
The Elites will be back out in force this year as we head towards the celebration of their Diamond Jubilee. Brian’s been hard at work organising 2017 Lotus Elite Diamond Jublee, which will be the biggest Lotus birthday party the Club has ever held.
It’ll be held over the 12th & 13th of August, taking over the ‘Amaroo’ section of Sydney Motorsport Park and include a sprint meeting, celebration dinner, gathering and photo opportunity, picnic lunch, parade and much more.
This year is also the 60th anniversary of the Seven and the 50th of the Type 49 Formula 1 car, the Elan +2 and the Type 51 Formula Ford. July 1967 was the first all Formula Ford race – Lotus captured the top seven places. So there is a lot to celebrate!
Nail the 12th & 13th of August in your diary, and enjoy the footage from Mount Panorama!
Registrations Open for April 2017 Lotus Only Track Day at Winton
Simply Sports Cars have opened registration for their first Lotus Only Track Day of 2017. The event will be held at Winton Raceway in Victoria on Monday the 24th of April, coinciding with the last day of LOTUS 2017.
Registrations are available on the Simply Sports Cars website, and you can get there by clicking this link!
The goal is to fill Winton with Lotus cars of every speed, shape and size and put on a fun day at the track for all. Part of the LOTUS 2017 weekend, the LOTD is sure to attract some interesting cars and a few good mates to go driving with.
Simply Sports Cars’ Lotus Only Track Days are designed to be fun and inclusive, offering options for people of all skill levels and inclinations to get out on the track in a safe, relaxed and educational environment.
Drive sessions are available for those who just want to take their car out on the track for some fun. If you’re looking to up the competition factor slightly sprint sessions, which are a typical sprint against the clock, are available For the full competitive experience, race sessions featuring practice, qualifying and three races will also be held over one very busy day.
Experienced drivers will be on hand to offer guidance and the SSC-Lotus team will be there to answer questions about your car, its set up and possible modifications. The event will also be supported by Harrop Engineering.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the Lotus Only Track Days so far, and are sure this will be another excellent event. Entry is available right here.
Image thanks to Paul D’Ambra
Lotus Photos: LOST Run to the Motorists’ Appreciation Day Swansea
Our friends the LOST Fraternity took some time out of last weekend’s Bathurst 12-Hour to run up Pacific Highway to Swansea for the Motorists’ Appreciation Day – M.A.D.
On Sunday the 5th of February they met in Belmont on the Pacific Highway before running up to Bargoed House on the old highway in Swansea. There they enjoyed a few hours kicking tyres and socialising at M.A.D.
Jack McLaughlin has kindly sent through a few photos from the day, which you can enjoy below!
Photos thanks to Jack McLaughlin
The 2017 Jaguar Mountain Rally Sounds Like a Blast!
The Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia will hold its annual Mountain Rally over the 27th and 28th of May this year, and it’s looking like an absolute blast.
Billed as ‘Highlands to Tablelands’, the event will travel through Mittagong, Goulburn and Yass before moving back through Goulburn to finish in Sutton Forest.
The entry cost of $460 includes meals and accommodation for two, making it a great value weekend. Head to the official Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia website here for more details and to register, and read on for their primer on the event.
One More Week to Register for Lotus 2017!
Lotus 2017 organisers have added a one-week extension to the Lotus 2017 registration date, so now is the time to get registered!
February 2017 Edition of Chunky’s Chatter Now Available for Download!
Tom’s first Chunky’s Chatter of 2017, the February edition, is now available for download from the members’ page. Grab a copy, and enjoy!
Features in this month’s mag include:
- Lots of events and outings for 2017
- News from Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT
- Geoff Winder takes on the first leg of his new project
- Emerson Fittipaldi turns 70
And much more! Enjoy Chunky’s lighthearted and sometimes irreverent monthly look at the world of Lotus.
Head to the members’ page to download your copy. And if you’re not a member already, have a browse around the site and hit up our membership page here to find out why you should be!
Ashton’s President’s Prattle: February 2017
Happy New Year, and I hope you had a wonderfully relaxing holiday, hopefully including the recent ‘Straya Day weekend.
I’m delighted to report that we have managed to squeeze in our first committee meeting for the year, the minutes for which are currently up on the members’ page. The key outtakes for everyone are are:
- We’re financially solvent
- Our website and Faceplant pages continue to drive increased viewers, followers and likes, which suggests we are doing some of the right stuff
- Plans are hot for a busy year of social and motorsport activities of all sorts
- We’re looking forward to seeing lots of you out there
Getting straight off the blocks, we have a trip to Gerringong on Saturday 18th February for the MotorFest – there are still a few places available so please drop me a line (ashton@clublotus.com.au) and we’ll organise to either meet there or have a gentle drive down. It’s free for entrants and their passengers, $5 to enter otherwise – all proceeds go to Childhood Leukaemia and in particular a local sufferer. An added bonus – the monthly farmers market is on the same day to keep all parties happy.
The following day (19th Feb) is our first Tyre Kick and Coffee for the year at Gough Whitlam Park. Please come along and say hello – we have moved the arrival time out to 9am to allow for a Sunday morning lie-in. Getting the car out for a gentle run, enjoy some surprisingly good coffee from the kiosk, and of course great company.
Saturday March 11th will see us running the first of the CSCA Sprints down at Wakefield. I always very much look forward to the day as Mike does such a superb job of running proceedings, and it is truly a Club day, with everyone involved at some point.
If you’ve ever thought of sprinting your car, there is hardly a better way to start than this event – it’s friendly, well run, and there’s a great social evening the night before. Try it.
Also in March (Sunday 26th) we have been invited down to Ebony Happy for scones and cream, and the first practice session for Round the Buckets. You’ll need to drop a note to Anne to let her know if you are planning on coming, so the catering can be organised – more details to follow.
In May we have been invited to join the Jaguar Club’s Mountain Rally. Caroline and I are going to take the opportunity to jointly undertake a tarmac rally in preparation for the Targa High Country in November. Our plan is to use the Elan… full details elsewhere in Chunky’s, but this will be a fantastic event, a great chance to drive some superb roads, and all for less than $500 for two people.
Looking further out, this year is the Diamond Jubilee of the Lotus Type 14 Elite, and Brian Caldersmith has been burning the midnight oil to get the mother and father of all celebrations underway. All Lotuses are invited, we have coincided with the Shannons CMC day at SMP, and we have exclusive use of the Amaroo (South) circuit, including time on track on the Sunday.
For those wanting to make a weekend of it, there is the Morgan CSCA sprint on the Saturday, and there is a huge dinner being organised for participants and their partners, so please start by putting a marker in your diary for that weekend (12-13 August).
More details elsewhere, but it is very much open to ALL Lotuses. Our plan is to make the day very family orientated, with a BBQ for lunch on the Sunday hosted by CLA. Please feel free to invite interstate friends if they would like to come.
I won’t go on about all the events we have got planned, but suffice to say the calendar is filling up, so please link to it and check in regularly (it’s here: https://www.clublotus.com.au/lotus-events-calendar/ ) as it will be the single source of truth for our events planning. And have a look at the minutes to get an idea of the stuff we are up to.
Oh, and one last thing, don’t forget that Lotus 2017 is happening in April based in and around Beechworth – full details and booking details are on their site here: www.lotus2017.com
And finally, our friendly local distributor and dealer of all things Lotus, Simply Sports Cars are building a stronger and stronger brand, continuing to sell lots of cars (particularly the V6 Exige I gather) and are happy for us to be pretty much joined at the hip in terms of organising stuff together. So expect to see lots of events and input from them coming our way.
As always, we are looking for contributions, articles, letters with your thoughts, or anything else you are happy to commit to paper (ok, that’s a bit old-fashioned, but you know what I mean). Please drop any of Tom, Seth, or me a line and we would love to get your name in lights – just remember, if there are no photos, it didn’t happen.
Enough from me! I very much look forward to seeing lots of you out and about over the next few months while the weather continues to be perfect for our cars, and in the meantime, stay safe, keep it upright and on the blackstuff.
Pip pip,
Ashton